Falling Star
by Mack Callen
Summary: Not enough characters to explain (haha omg great start) so please see the first chapter for summary. Thank you! (Marty Deeks/OC fanfic - Please note this is *NOT* a Densi fic)
1. NCIS:Los Angeles - Falling Star(SUMMARY)

_**i wanna**_ _hide the truth, i wanna_ _ **shelter you;**_  
 _ **but**_ _with the beast inside,_ _ **there's nowhere we can hide...**_

 **NCIS : Los Angeles**

"Falling Star"

LAPD Detective and NCIS Liaison Officer, Marty Deeks is under investigation. Six years earlier an undercover case left an LAPD Detective dead. The case was never solved and now Deeks has Internal Affairs on his back.

Stella 'Starr' Navarro is the youngest child and only daughter of renowned West Coast crime lord, Anthony Navarro. Once a trusted CI and close friend of Deeks, she's the only other living person who knows the truth about what happened back then.

But after her recent involvement in a heist on a high-end Beverly Hills jewelry store that left a security guard dead, Starr's now wanted for a murder she didn't commit; but the LAPD aren't the only ones coming for her.

Six years ago Starr broke the Navarro family code "loyalty to blood" after being forced to testify against one of her brothers; now Marco Navarro is due parole and he's about to make good on his last words to his little sister.

" _I see you again - you're dead_. "

Can Deeks push aside his own troubles with Internal Affairs and clear Starr's name while somehow keeping her safe from her brother _and_ off law enforcement's radar?

Or could this be the end of the road for one of them?

 _..._ _ **don't wanna let you down**_ _,_ _ **but I am hell bound**_ _;  
_ _ **though this is all for you,**_ _don't wanna hide the truth.~_

COPYRIGHT. Anna Mack Callen. 2016. "FALLING STAR"

Song: " _ **Demons**_ " by the rather amazing **Imagine Dragons**

Please note this is * **NOT*** a Densi fic.


	2. Labyrinth

**LABYRINTH**

Early that Monday morning a loud, shrill whistle echoed around the old water plant administration building. After the Northridge earthquake that had shaken Los Angeles back in '94 the building had been condemned and was now the home of the NCIS Office of Special Projects. The headquarters was dedicated to the more covert of operations than most of NCIS - undercover and surveillance - and was shrouded in secrecy; so secretive that for security reasons it didn't officially exist, meaning those who worked for the elite unit were required to use 'cover stories' to maintain that secrecy. Cover stories that often spilled over into their private lives.

The three agents and one detective, sitting behind their assigned desks within the area known as the "bullpen" were used to the trademark sound that alerted them to a new case; even so they all found themselves wincing ever so slightly.

"Lady and Gents," said the whistler, Tech Operator, Eric Beale, "we caught a case." The blond, bespectacled tech geek turned and raced back up the stairs the way he came.

"All this time and that still goes through me like Mexican food," said former Navy Seal and the OSP teams Senior Field Agent, Sam Hanna.

"I say we all chip in and buy him a flute or something equally as delicate. I can see it now, Eric Beale, the Pied Piper of Special Projects," quipped Special Agent Kensi Blye, who was the only female Special Agent attached to OSP.

LAPD Detective and NCIS Liaison Officer Marty Deeks scratched a hand through his shaggy blond hair and got to his feet. " _Yeah_ , but then we'd have to buy him the whole get up to make it work. Pointed hat and shoes and don't forget the tights." He paused to shudder. "I'll take the imminent hearing loss."

Lead Senior Special Agent, G. Callen, smiled at his teams banter as they all trooped up the stairs towards Ops Center. "Admit it, guys. If he suddenly stopped, you'd miss it."

"Care to wager your next paycheck on that, G?" Sam asked his partner with a lifted brow.

Kensi and Deeks entered Ops first. The large room with subdued lighting was equipped with all the latest technology and gadgets, plasma wall screens, computers, state-of-the-art electronic surface table, the works - all of which enabled Eric, along with Intelligence Analyst Nell Jones, to search, hack, gather and retrieve information that helped the team take down the bad guys.

Once all four were inside the room and the sliding doors were closed, a female figure of small stature dressed in a tweed trouser suit and wearing round black spectacles, stepped forward and nodded at her team. Henrietta "Hetty" Lange was the Operations Manager for the NCIS Office of Special Projects, gruff with a no nonsense temperament; but with a great deal of maternal affection for Callen and the rest of her agents. She commanded the best and with this team that was precisely what she had.

"Lockdown, Mr. Beale," she softly instructed and Eric immediately closed down the window shutters and locked the doors. This was Hetty's version of 'code red' where the agents were able to have covert discussions on classified cases that required a higher level of secrecy. It was imperative that no one other than the seven people inside the room be privy to the information about to be shared.

"Code red, Hetty?" enquired Sam. "What's this about?"

"Take it away, Mr. Beale," Hetty said once she knew the room was secure to the world outside of the room.

Eric pulled up the images from the tablet in his hand and sent them over to the main plasma wall screen, playing the video that accompanied them. "Okay, we're looking at security camera footage taken last night from the Pavlo Jewelry Store on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills," he explained. "Thieves got in, surprising the guard on duty, forced him into opening up the vault and took off with almost eight million dollars worth of jewelry, five million of which was diamonds."

Deeks softly whistled. "That's a lotta bling."

"And we're investigating because...?" asked Callen.

"Keep watching," Hetty instructed.

They all continued to watch the drama unfolding on the screen. There were five people inside the vault, six including the security guard who had a gun trained on his head, and the "thieves" were dressed in all black, wearing hooded sweatshirts and with Robert De Niro masks covering their faces.

"What's with the masks?" Deeks wondered out loud. "I mean, yeah, I get _why_. Obviously. But why not Al Pacino? Why De Niro? Not saying the guy isn't a _great_ actor, he is. That final shootout in _Taxi Driver_ has to be one of my all time fav - "

" _Mr_. Deeks," Hetty interrupted with a long-suffering sigh, reserved only for the oddball Detective. "While your viewing habits are indeed eclectic, if not slightly disconcerting, they're of little interest at the moment. Please keep watching."

Deeks quietened down and Kensi slid her partner a grin. The thieves were now emptying the deposit boxes from inside the vault, pouring trays upon trays of jewelry and diamonds into open duffel bags.

"We watching this for a reason?" Sam said to Hetty. "Because I'm with G. I'm still waiting for the military angle."

"Patience, Mr. Hanna."

"Has to be an inside job," mused Kensi wondered.

"My money's on the guard. It's always the one you least expect," said Deeks. He turned briefly away from the screen to glance at his partner just as a shot rang out. When he turned back the security guard had hit the floor and one of the thieves was standing over him with a gun, their back to the camera. "And all bets are off," he added.

"Brutal," Kensi said. "They're wearing masks they didn't have to do that."

Callen sighed impatiently and folded his arms over his chest. "It's tragic, but since when do we investigate jewel heists, Hetty?"

"A murder has been committed, Mr. Callen," she replied, fully aware of his impatience. "And the story is still unfolding."

"What do we know about the guard?" asked Sam.

"Paul Morris, he's worked security his entire life," answered Nell. She brought up the dead man's driver's license on screen. "He was with the store for five years. Prior to that he worked security at Wells Fargo. Family man, three kids. He's clean."

Sam exhaled and nodded. It was always the good guys. "Right. I mean, the masks could be of _some_ use in helping us identify them. Eric, hit up all the costume stores in and around LA. See how many of them sell these masks and if so, who purchased any."

"Already on it," said Eric walking over to the surface table. "There are six stores, two in Venice, who sell that particular brand of mask. It's from a collection called the Hollywood Greats. I'll download the addresses to all of your phones."

"Okay, what are we looking at now?" said Callen. In the bottom left corner of the screen, while the rest of the crew were still loading up the bags, it appeared that two of them were arguing over the dead body of the guard. The arguing quickly turned into a scuffle, with the bigger one of the two shoving the smaller one back with quite some force.

"Dissension in the ranks. But it's hardly the appropriate time for a domestic," said Kensi.

"Probably arguing over the guard," Deeks put in. "At least one of them has a conscience."

"But which one?" Sam said. "Because we have no idea who pulled the trigger. I can't even see the gun no more. Eric, are you sure this is _all_ the security cams?"

"It's all of them," Eric confirmed.

"Can you zoom in?" asked Kensi.

The Tech zoomed in the best he could but the deeper he went, the grainier the images became. The footage was low resolution to begin with and with the dark clothing the thieves wore, it was virtually impossible to see which of them was in possession.

"You'd think a high-end store would have high-end security installed," Sam said. "What about street cams?"

"That's a negative," Nell said. "They got in through the back entrance where, believe it or not, there are no cameras installed. Not even above the store's loading ramp."

"It's a jewelry store. That makes absolutely no sense," Kensi said with a puzzled frown.

"It's Rodeo Drive. Don't you know cameras make the place look untidy?" Eric replied with a faint smile.

"Welcome to Beverly Hills, boys and girls," said Deeks.

On screen the scuffle between the two was beginning to escalate. The bigger one was now squaring up to the smaller, even taking a swipe at them and making them stumble backwards; as they did the hood on their sweatshirt fell away to reveal a long dark ponytail tucked inside.

"We got a female," said Callen with building interest. The female quickly regained her balance just as the other one came at her again; this time ripping off her mask to reveal a young woman in her mid to late twenties.

"Whoa! Hold up. Did _not_ expect that," said Deeks. "Facial rec?"

"Negative, I'm afraid. The low res is difficult enough to work with and there isn't a clean shot of her face, _but_ ," replied Eric, his fingers flying over the keyboard, "let me work on it some more."

"Clearly this guy hasn't read the heist manual on teamwork," quipped Callen, still watching the scene play out. "It's almost as if he wanted her identity to be disclosed. Why would he risk the entire job like that?"

"The plot thickens, Mr. Callen, yes?" said Hetty.

Callen turned to the tiny woman and offered a muted smile. He had a strong feeling that Hetty knew more about this case than she was letting on. "Granted, you have my attention. But I'm still not getting it."

"There are bigger fish to fry," she said all mysterious like.

Sam looked at their Ops Manager. "Meaning?"

"Meaning, Mr. Hanna, I have reason to believe that the female we are looking at is Stella Navarro, otherwise known as Starr," she said.

Deeks's entire body immediately tensed up. Because never in a million years had he been expecting to hear _that_ name and least of all in _this_ scenario. The deep frown lined his brow as his jaw began to work and he shifted his upper body forward ever so slightly, inching closer to the plasma so he could get a closer look. A less astute person wouldn't have noticed the imperceptible movement. But two people inside the room had and one of them was Kensi. Four years had made her savvy when it came to gauging her partner's moods and reactions.

"Y'okay there, Deeks?" she asked him.

"Uh, yeah, yeah, I'm good," he replied absentmindedly, still staring at the images on screen. The height, the hair...face shape...yeah, it _could_ be Starr. But then it could be _any_ young woman of her age and measurements. The footage really wasn't great and the dimmed lighting inside the vault didn't help. But that wasn't what was bothering him. It couldn't be Starr, because she'd gotten out of LA and she'd always said she would never come back. So if ever she _was_ to return, Deeks doubted it would be to get mixed up in something like this. A bad feeling began to run through his entire body.

"Wait a second," Callen interjected. He turned to Hetty. "Stella Navarro as in the daughter of _Anthony_ Navarro, head of the biggest organized crime family on the West Coast?"

"The very one, Mr. Callen," Hetty affirmed with a nod. Now they were all beginning to understand a little more on why Hetty had ordered the 'code red' even if they didn't completely understand their involvement in the case.

Callen threw her a suspicious look. "Okay, so why aren't the LAPD handling this? Or the FBI for that matter?"

"There's _that_ , but I'm more interested in _why_ you're assuming it's her," Sam said to their OSP Manager.

"I'm presuming, Mr. Hanna, not assuming. There is a difference. We'll get to why in a moment." Hetty turned to Deeks who was still staring, all but squinting, at the screen. He hadn't taken his eyes off the woman since her reveal. Kensi hadn't been the only one who'd noticed. "Mr. Deeks," she said, "it's my understanding that you know this woman."

All at the same time the team turned away from the screen to look at him, even Eric and Nell, and suddenly Deeks felt like a tiny bug beneath a very large microscope. "Okay, uh, guys, c'mon, all this attention is making me blush," he quipped. No one said anything. Just more looks. And expectant eyebrows. "No? No one's gonna add to that? Alright then." He cleared his throat. "I mean, _c'mon_ , that footage could be anyone." He threw an arm out towards the screen. "You heard Eric, not enough for a facial rec."

Hetty only pinpointed him with an unflinching gaze and Deeks wilted a little. No higher than a toadstool but she could strike fear into the heart of any man.

" _Is_ my understanding correct, Mr. Deeks?" she asked.

"That look tells me you already know the answer," he replied.

" _Mr_. Deeks," she pressed.

"Well... _yeah_ , I mean, I know her. Sort of. Kind of. Yeah. That's if it's even _her_ , then - "

"It's her," Eric cut in. "Confirmed match." He sent the photo match image to the plasma screen that confirmed the identity of the woman from the security footage as Stella 'Starr' Navarro.

"I know her," said Deeks knowing when to give up.

"And just like that things got interesting." Callen slid a suspicious glance in Hetty's direction. He'd been right. She _did_ know more than she was letting on.

"Hold up, G. I'm sorry," Sam said, holding out a hand to silence his partner. He turned to Deeks. " _You_ know the daughter of a mob boss?" He was as surprised as the others, but didn't bother hiding the fact that he was also a little bit impressed.

"We met at a bar few years back, got talking. She told me who she was, didn't even try to hide it," Deeks explained with a casual shrug. "I figured she could be a useful contact and she was."

"She became your informant," coded Callen.

"Yeah."

"That's messed up," Sam said. "Daughter of a mob boss moonlighting as a CI?"

"A _trusted_ CI," Deeks amended. "Girl had mad skills. She knew stuff and she could get into places other CI's couldn't."

"Thus making her the quintessential criminal informant," said Hetty and Deeks gave her a nod.

"She get her ten percent?" Sam wanted to know as he glanced back at the photograph of the attractive brunette with the startling green eyes. "Or do the beautiful daughters of mob bosses get a higher rate?" he added with a grin.

"Actually, _Sam_ , she never got paid," Deeks told him. "She wasn't officially on the books."

"Oh, she was _that_ kind of informant," Sam said, still grinning.

Deeks laughed a little, because he knew exactly where he was going with it and he wasn't about to get into it. Not now or ever. It was nobody's business but his and Starr's. "She was never on the books because of _who_ she was," he amended. "If her family discovered she was feeding info to a cop they'd have ousted her with immediate effect. The Navarro family live by their code and most of them take it very seriously."

"So she fed you information from the kindness of her heart," Sam said with a small snicker.

"And _what_ is their code?" asked Kensi out of curiosity.

"Loyalty to blood," Deeks told his partner, before turning back to their Ops Manager. "Hetty, this makes absolutely no sense."

"How so, Mr. Deeks?"

"For one, she's been living out in Cuba for the past eighteen months and she always said she'd never come back to LA."

"And two?"

"Pulling off heists, shooting guards, it's not who she is. Isn't her style."

"But it's in her DNA."

"But it _isn't_ her style," Deeks said again.

"Mr. Deeks - "

"Hetty, I'm sorry, but seeing as I'm the only one in the room who _knows_ her, let me just bring you all up to speed; because you only know the family she was born into and what's written in a file. Yeah, sure, she knows the in's and out's of the mob life. She grew up in it, as a kid she had no choice. She knows how the family operate, how they work things and because of that knowledge she's able to charm her way out of any dangerous situation and work a financial deal to her advantage. Those are skills. It doesn't make her a criminal. Or a murderer."

"Touching tale," Callen cut in. "Eric, does she have a record?"

"I've searched the LAPD database but I'm hitting a brick wall on a lot of stuff. There's a few connections popping out but most of the cases are sealed and require security clearance," Eric said from behind his computer.

"That could be down to her standing as a CI _and_ as the daughter of a renowned crime boss, Mr. Beale. Those files in the wrong hands could be dire for all involved," Hetty explained.

"Gotcha. However, there were rumors of her involvement in a bunch of incidents along the East Coast a few years back," Eric continued.

"What kind of incidents?" Sam wanted to know.

"Compared to what we're looking at right now, all little league." Eric hit a few buttons on his keyboard and brought up images and released government information about the woman in question, sending it over to the main screen with a flick of his hand. "Mostly small-time financial stuff. Credit card fraud and insider trading, throughout New York and Boston, to name a few. She was arrested for questioning, but charges were never brought because there wasn't enough evidence of her involvement."

"Or maybe," Callen interjected, pinpointing Deeks with one raised eyebrow, "it was because she was a 'trusted' CI."

Deeks pinpointed him right back. "Not sure I like what you're implying, Callen," he replied.

"I'm just saying, seems a little odd if she _was_ involved in fraudulent activities that she was arrested but never charged."

"I get that, but I can't see how crimes committed along the East Coast would have anything to do with her being my informant, _here_ , in LA," Deeks replied. His tone had a little edge to it and even though he was trying to suppress it, they were all aware of how much he was struggling with what was unfolding. He shouldn't have risen to the bait, but when it came to Starr, Deeks was more than a little protective. But he wasn't prepared to get into her past with any of them. Least of all right now. There were more important things on his mind than arguing her innocence over past mistakes. At the end of the day they'd all made a few of those. "Whatever she did back then isn't why we're here," he said.

"Why _are_ we here, Hetty?" Callen turned to his Ops Manager. "Would this happen to have anything to do with why Internal Affairs are investigating Deeks?"

"Oh, c'mon. _Really_?" Deeks said with a small laugh. But it lacked humor. "You're gonna pull _that_ card?"

"I'm just trying to figure out why we've been asked to look into this when the LAPD should be handling it," Callen said with a shrug.

"We haven't been asked to look into anything, Mr. Callen," Hetty replied, which only made Callen that much more suspicious.

"Hence the code red," said Sam.

"Precisely, Mr. Hanna," she nodded.

Callen nodded. "Are we gonna get in trouble over this, Hetty?"

"Since when did getting into trouble be a concern of yours, Mr. Callen?" Hetty asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"So we're trampling on toes," he stated with a faint, knowing smile.

"There'll be no trampling of any kind. Because we'll be operating _behind_ the scenes. With the IAB's investigation into Mr. Deeks _and_ his connection to this woman," she pointed to the screen, "I felt it would serve a greater purpose if we lead our own investigation."

"And what would that greater purpose be?" asked Sam.

"I can't answer that, Mr. Hanna," Hetty replied, clasping both hands in front of her

"Because you won't or you can't?"

Hetty paused momentarily. "Because I'm not at liberty to say."

"So you _do_ know," said Callen. "And you're happy for Deeks to be involved? Because you know he shouldn't be, right? He's too close to it." He was only voicing what they were all thinking. "Not to mention it's a conflict. Hetty, he's already facing a possible suspension."

" _Wow_. Okay. _Really_? Again with this? Where's the love? I can tell you where it's notand that's right here in this room," Deeks deadpanned.

"Hetty," Kensi spoke up. "You have to admit this is all a little bit questionable."

"Yes, I'm aware of that, Miss. Blye," Hetty replied. "But isn't everything we do questionable? Our world is built around secrecy and deception."

Kensi let go of a sigh and shrugged. "Okay. Fair enough. I get it."

"Well, I don't," Callen interrupted, staring at Hetty. "Deeks has the bureau all over him and you throw us a case where the main suspect in a robbery turned shooting is a woman from his chequered past."

"Chequered, _really_?" Deeks replied, tucking his thumbs into the belt loops of his jeans. "I prefer colorful. Multifaceted. As in a 'stories will be told' kind of way. And she didn't shoot anybody."

"We don't know that," said Callen. "The shooter had their back to the camera and it could be why your old friend and one of our De Niro's got into it."

Deeks was trying to keep a lid on it, but it felt like he was under attack - mainly from their Lead Agent - and when he was under attack, he'd always come out fighting. But that wouldn't serve any purpose here, or help the case. They were already looking at him like he was hiding something. Even Kensi. The only person that appeared to be on his side - although he had absolutely no idea why - was Hetty.

"Okay, one more time, just in case you didn't get the memo the first time around - she _didn't_ shoot anybody. _Okay_? Are we all clear on that?" Deeks said firmly. "She doesn't have it in her. What, so because she comes from a crime family that means she's capable of shooting someone in cold blood? She may have been born into that life but she never _wanted_ it. Starr turned her back on everything they stood for. Even when her father offered to make her CEO of a publishing firm he owns in New York she turned him down. She wanted her own life and her own career _away_ from the family and whether or not she made her money legally or otherwise, doesn't matter right now _. This_ ," he threw a hand out towards the plasma screen, "is what matters. Because whatever _this_ is, it's not her."

"Because you know her so well?" asked Kensi. She was intensely curious about this woman and her relationship with her partner. Especially as Deeks had never mentioned her before. But mainly she was curious because he was wound up tight and Deeks was possibly the most laidback person Kensi had ever met. Sam had wondered if there was or had been anything romantic between Deeks and his old informant and now she was, too.

"Yeah, because I know her," Deeks answered with a nod.

"Her past exploits don't lie. And neither does this new evidence," Callen said with a nod towards the screen. "Whether or not she pulled the trigger, made off with the jewelry; she was still inside that vault."

Deeks drew in a breath and let it go, hoping it would calm him some. Callen was right of course. Even though he didn't want it to be true, the evidence _was_ right in front of matter which way he looked at it, Starr _was_ involved in this. But why would she risk coming back to LA to do something so out of character as pulling off a heist? There had to be a reason. _Had_ to be.

"Mr. Deeks, when did you last hear from Miss. Navarro?" Hetty asked him.

Deeks exhaled again and shook his head. "Not for a long time. Around eight, nine months, maybe a bit longer. Like I said, she left LA to make a new life for herself in Cuba."

"And now she's back," mused Sam. "So either things progressed or went south in Cuba." He turned to Nell who was now behind her computer. "Check flight manifests from Cuba to LA, going back fourteen days. We need confirmation of when she landed on US soil and whether or not she was traveling alone."

"On it," Nell said with a nod.

"Guys," Eric piped up. He was standing beside the surface table and looked up from the tablet in his hands. "I think I may have something of interest." He hit a button and with a flick of his finger the photograph of a suave looking, dark haired man with a scar running down his left cheek was sent from the tablet to the main plasma.

"Who we looking at?" asked Kensi.

"Marco Navarro," Deeks said and the tension was back. "Starr's brother."

Eric nodded. "Six years ago Marco Navarro was arrested on suspicion of drugs related crimes. He was eventually charged and later found guilty. He's been working off his stretch at California State and get this, he's due parole _this_ Tuesday."

"That's tomorrow," said Kensi and Eric nodded.

Sam lifted a brow and folded his arms over his broad chest. "Picture's getting bigger. So maybe Starr's here for her brother and trying to make a little cash on the side to take back to her new life in Cuba," he suggested.

"No," Deeks said with a slow shake of his head. They all looked at him. He was still staring at the photographs, his jaw set, bright blue eyes intense. "No. This is _all_ wrong. There's no _way_ she would risk coming back to LA to pull off some out-of-character jewel heist knowing Marco's out on parole in two days. No way. I'm not buying it."

"It's her brother, Deeks," Sam said. "Maybe they're planning a big family reunion."

"You haven't seen or talked to her in almost a year," Callen interjected. "Your old friend could be into things you know nothing about."

"You just don't get it," Deeks replied.

"So how about you tell us?" Callen said.

"Mr. Deeks," Hetty interrupted before the disagreement became something more, "we have confirmation that the woman we are looking at _is_ Stella Navarro. Why are you disputing this?"

Old memories were already lining up at the front of Deeks mind and try as he might he couldn't shake them. But he needed to keep a clear head and so he forced himself to shut them down. "I'm not disputing that it's her, Hetty. I mean, facial rec never lies, right?"

"Correct. But that doesn't answer my question."

Deeks turned away from the screen to look at them all. "It was Starr's testimony that put Marco away. He told her, right before they took him down, soon as he was out? He would kill her."

"Think that's the family reunion off the table," Callen said to Sam who replied with a nod of his head.

"Not to mention the family code," Kensi added.

"And how _did_ the Navarro family take Starr's disloyalty to her brother?" Callen wanted to know.

"You'd have to ask them," Deeks replied. "I imagine they were pretty pissed. I only know how Anthony Navarro felt."

"How'd he feel?" asked Sam.

"Let me put it this way. Guy has five sons and only one daughter. He has one rule but they both have very different upshots. The sons get caught or into a situation that could jeopardize the family - there's no second chance, they're out. You make threats to his daughter, blood or otherwise, irrespective of what she's done - same applies."

"So she's daddy's little girl," Sam inferred.

"He loves her to breaking point and he'll pretty much do anything for her," Deeks said.

"Hardly seems fair," Kensi spoke up. "Where's the loyalty to his other kids?"

"Navarro doesn't blame Starr for testifying, he blames Marco for getting caught. Accused him of being sloppy and careless," said Deeks.

"Has to be said if I were Marco I'd be pissed," replied Kensi. "The sons put in all the work with all the risk. Starr wants no part of the empire yet gets all the devotion."

"Along with a get out of jail free card, courtesy of daddy," added Sam.

"She could pretty much do anything and he'd forgive her," Deeks said.

"Does Anthony Navarro know of the idle threat Marco made to Starr?" Callen asked.

"He knows, and trust me there was nothing idle about it," Deeks told him. He remembered the day they took Marco Navarro down, the rage in his eyes, the venom in his words as he spat them from his mouth, as he was lead from the courtroom in handcuffs.

 _I see you again you're dead._

After that Deeks had vowed to keep Starr safe. Protect her. And he had done and always would. When she decided to leave California he'd been crushed. But it hadn't been about him. He understood her need to start over. After she'd gone, for the first time in a long time he'd been able to sleep at night knowing that in Cuba she was safe. Which was why her coming back to LA made absolutely no sense. Least of all now Marco was due parole.

"And you know of this threat how, Mr Deeks?" asked Hetty.

"Because I was there."

Hetty nodded. "I see." She turned to Nell. "Miss. Jones, any luck with flight manifests?"

"That's a negative so far. There's nothing to suggest that Stella Navarro flew in from Cuba or the surrounding countries within the last fourteen days."

"Fake passport," said Callen with a shrug. "Daughter of a mob boss could easily get her hands on one."

Nell nodded. "I'll cross reference her photograph against all Cuban flights in the last four weeks, see if anything pops up. Unless, we know of any aliases...?" she said directing the question at Deeks.

"No idea."

"Okay," she replied and immediately got to work.

"Check port surveillance too, Nell," Sam said and she gave him a nod.

"Cellphone?" said Callen.

Deeks shook his head. "She'll be using a burner."

"Makes sense," Sam said.

"Regardless of how long she's been here she has to be staying somewhere while she's here. What about a last known address?" Callen said to Deeks.

"Again, no idea."

"What?" A small disbelieving laugh escaped Callen. "You were friends with this woman and you have no idea where she lived?"

"She didn't want me knowing to keep us both protected. When we met up it was always at a bar or a coffeehouse."

"Your place once or twice," Sam added with a slight smirk.

Deeks gave him a look that required no explanation. "Actually, _no_. Same rule applied. No addresses, no connection. No risk."

"She was covering all her bases. Girl really is a pro," said Callen.

"If there's anything she learned from being a part of that family, it was how to protect her interests," said Deeks.

"So there's no chance of her using her real name to rent a room. Could be she's staying with someone. An old friend," Sam said.

"She had plenty of those," Deeks said.

"Where?"

"Mainly out in Malibu. I had a hunch that was where she lived but I could never connect the dots. She spent a lot of time at Surfrider. Loved the beach. She liked to watch the surfers."

"Oh, I bet she did," Sam grinned slyly, knowing that Deeks was an avid surfer himself. The Detective spent a lot of his free time - when he managed to get it - riding the waves out in Malibu, Venice and the surrounding areas.

"Wherever she's staying there'll be a beach close by," Deeks added ignoring the comment.

"Check all the motels in Malibu and surrounding beach communities. We know she won't be using her real name so send her photograph," Callen told Eric and Nell. "Maybe we'll get lucky and get a hit on one of them."

"Already way ahead of you," both Nell and Eric said in perfect unison. They grinned at one another. "I'll also check any credit cards in her name," Eric added. "You never know, she may have slipped up and used one to rent a room."

"If that doesn't pan out then I say we go direct to the head of the family," Callen said, forcing a light chuckle from Deeks. "Something funny?"

"The idea of you going to Anthony Navarro," Deeks said with a muted smile. "When Starr said she didn't want to be part of his empire, he was more than happy for her to take a step back. In his eyes if she wasn't involved, she was safe. So even if Anthony Navarro _does_ know where his daughter is, he's not talking to you. He'll do everything in his power to protect her."

"His little girl's wanted in a robbery and the possible murder of a security guard, he'll talk if he wants to keep her out of prison," Sam said, but Deeks knew different and merely shook his head, still smiling.

"What about regular haunts?" asked Kensi.

"I know a few places in Venice she liked to hang out, but she isn't stupid enough to visit any of them."

"Only one way to find out. You and Kensi are on it," Callen said. "Afterwards, take the scenic route to Malibu. Check out Surfrider, see if any of her surfer buddies have heard from her. Sam and I'll check out the costume stores, see if we can get an ID on our De Niro's. Then we'll head out to Beverly Hills, see what the storeowner can tell us. We done, Hetty?"

"For now, yes," she said and gave Eric a nod. "Mr. Beale." A few seconds later Eric lifted the lockdown leaving the agents free to leave Ops. "I don't need to remind you all that the information shared does not go beyond the seven people inside this room," she added.

They all nodded and Sam and Callen left first, with Kensi and Deeks following closely behind.

"Mr. Deeks, a word if I may," said Hetty and waited for him to turn back. "And I don't need to remind _you_ that you're under investigation. I trust you won't do anything to impede _or_ inflame that investigation."

"Why would I make things any worse for myself, Hetty?" He was about to turn and leave when she spoke again. With a sigh he turned back.

"I also don't need to remind you that in the likelihood of Miss. Navarro contacting you, you _must_ sign her into LAPD custody. Do you understand, Mr. Deeks?"

"She's taking a big enough risk just being here, so contacting me is outta the question."

"Mr. Deeks."

He sighed. "Yeah. Got it." He hesitated, as if he were going to add something, but then thought better of it.

"Speak up, Detective."

Deeks lifted an arm to scratch his hand over his hair. "I, uh, I don't know why you've involved us in this. Not gonna question it. You're the boss." He jerked his shoulders. "But honestly? I wish you'd come to me first, Hetty. Talked to me in private instead of just dropping it on me like that in front of everyone."

"Hmm." Hetty briefly dropped her eyes to the floor, as if she were considering the way she had handled it. Then she met his gaze. "Knowing the utmost delicacy of the situation, you're right, Mr. Deeks, I _should_ have considered your feelings and consulted with you first. But there was no time and I feel for both you and Miss. Navarro, time is of the essence. I apologise for any distress I may have caused you to feel."

Deeks gave her an appreciative smile. "No distress. A little awkwardness, always feeling that, and y'know, _some_ confusion, but it's all good. But thank you, the sentiments appreciated." He turned to leave but once again she stopped him.

"Whatever is going on in our personal lives gets buried," she said. "We need to be in the moment. On our game. Understood?"

Her gaze upon him was unwavering and Deeks knew what it was she was saying without her even having to say it. Hetty had seen something in his eyes, his face, his body language - the whole team had, but they were assuming it to be concern for an old friend. But Hetty knew what was really going on behind the scenes. All of her agents were open books to her and she could read every single one of them with very little effort on her part. She was concerned for Deeks, not just because of his career related worries, but because she seemed to know how he had once felt about Stella Navarro.

Hetty was putting her faith in him and if Deeks was being completely honest, _that_ worried him. He didn't want to let her down, but the truth of it was he didn't know what he would do or how he would react if he should come face to face with Starr. Part of him hoped she would slip quietly out of the country and find a way back to Cuba, and hopefully this thing would just go away. But there was another part of him that wanted to see her. Because he needed to know what was going on inside her head. He needed to know that she was doing okay.

But he had a feeling Hetty already knew that.

He could only nod his head before leaving Ops to join his partner.

COPYRIGHT. Anna Mack Callen. (NCIS:LA - Falling Star)


	3. Veracity

**VERACITY**

The short ride out to Venice Beach was odd. To say the very least. It was odd in the sense that it was quiet inside the car. There was no conversation, no back and forth banter, no quips or lame jokes. All was silent in Camp Deeks and he'd been that way since leaving headquarters. A silent Deeks was cause for concern in Kensi Blye's book. Because Deeks was _never_ quiet. It was almost impossible for him to utter not a single word, let alone not talk for an entire five minutes.

"Should I turn on the radio to cover up the deafening silence?" she said glancing at her partner. He was staring out the side window, arm resting on the door, watching the palm trees and the streets whizz by and looking a million miles away.

"There's nothing going on, Kens," Deeks told her. Because he knew what she was thinking.

"Oh, _there_ it is, I was just about to suggest a trip to the ER," she said and he slid her a questioning look. "Because, y'know, you were real chatty back at Ops, thought maybe you'd worn your tongue out or something." He half smiled but didn't add anything else to that, which was odd in itself - she'd never known Deeks to not come back with a comeback. It was the basis of their crazy partnership. He just went back to looking out of the window and so she tried a different approach. "Callen was a little tough on you. Seemed a little judgy. You and him gonna be okay?"

"Callen's Callen. Guy's just doing his job," Deeks murmured. "Can't blame him for being suspicious."

And that was all she was getting it seemed. So Kensi nodded, took it on the chin and turned back to the road. She wanted to ask questions, because she had a _lot_ of them, and she was hoping he'd open up about his 'relationship' with Stella Navarro; but the silence and his body language were not in keeping with his character and it was throwing out all kinds of confusing negative vibes. She knew, for now, leaving it alone was probably for the best. Whatever demons he was wrestling she didn't want to alienate him. If things were about to get tough, she needed him to know she wasn't just his partner and friend, but that she was there if he needed her to be. Until then she had to ride it out.

She pulled the car to a stop outside of a local bar Deeks knew Starr used to frequent. The 'Venice Whaler' was one of Venice's oldest haunts, popular with locals and tourists alike; mainly down to the cheap, but decent seafood on the menu and the pitchers of ice-cold imported beers.

"Okay, let's do this," said Deeks with a sigh. "Just, y'know, be cool."

"Uh, I'm sorry, was that you questioning the level of my street cred?" Kensi replied with one eybrow bobbed.

He gave her a flat look that had a hidden undertone of amusement. "Street cred? Okay, you know you can't say that, right?"

"I believe I just did," she replied with a humorously bold disobedience and Deeks had to smile, because she always looked so cute when she was one-upping him.

"You ever been here before?" he asked her.

"Can't say I have."

"That's what I thought. Let's go," he said climbing out of the car and stretching his long legs.

Kensi rolled her eyes but followed him anyway, joining him on the sidewalk as they made their way inside the bar. There was rock music playing from the loudspeakers that hung above the oval-shaped, oak bar and behind it the bartender - a young, bearded guy with dark hair and tattoos - was slicing limes. Even for the early time of day the place was alive with surfers, bikers and young people of all ages.

"Popular place," she said as she and Deeks stepped up alongside the bar.

The bartender smiled, flashing a set of perfectly white teeth. He sent Kensi a flirty wink. "Hey there, gorgeous, what's your poison?"

"Not here for a drink, hot stuff," Deeks replied, flashing his LAPD badge. The bartender nodded and paused his slicing while Deeks pulled up the photograph of Starr Eric had downloaded to his phone. He briefly stalled, before clearing his throat. "Do you know this woman?" he asked.

The bartender looked at the photograph and immediately cracked a grin. "Hell, yeah, that's Starr. Everyone knows her."

"How do you know her?" asked Kensi.

"As a regular. One of our best. Every time she came in here she'd bring the crowds with her. In this town you don't have to be a celebrity to be a celebrity," the bartender said with a wide smile.

"Popular girl."

"She was a sweetheart," the bartender told Kensi. "Great looker, too. Like I said, best customer."

"Nothing more?" Deeks wanted to know, tucking the phone back into his pocket.

The bartender cracked a grin knowing where the Detective was going with it. "I wish. And I wasn't the only one. There were a lotta guys who wanted a piece of that sweet tail."

Kensi felt Deeks stiffen and she quickly jumped in, moving the conversation forward. "So has she been in here lately?" she asked.

"Nope." The bartender shook his head. "Haven't seen her in a long while. One minute she was here, the next gone. Miss her pretty face. A few other parts too, know what I'm sayin'?" He grinned at Deeks who wanted to comment but thought better of it. "What's this about? She in trouble?"

"Just need to ask her a few questions." Deeks handed the guy his contact card. "If she happens to come in give me a call."

"Yeah, sure thing, man. If you happen to see her first tell her to get her ass in here. It's missed," the bartender said.

" _Yeah_ , I'll do that, _man_ ," Deeks half-heartedly replied. "Thanks for your time."

Once they were stepping back out onto the bright sunshine of the bustling boardwalk, Kensi turned to Deeks with a faint smile. "Care to explain what that was?" she asked as they walked side-by-side to the next bar on the list.

"What was?"

"That, back there. Hardly playing it 'cool'. At one point it looked like you wanted to punch the guy."

"Pft, _yeah_ ," Deeks snorted, "but only because his beard was slightly better than mine."

Kensi shook her head, smiling. It was Deeks personality to hide his true feelings with humor. "Deeks, if we're working this case you have to turn off any personal feelings."

He slid a thoughtful look over her. "You're right. ' _Let age, not envy, draw wrinkles on thy cheeks_ '," he quoted. "Beard deserves a frickin' ticker tape parade. The hair needs work, though," he said scratching a hand through his shaggy 'styled-by-pillow' hair.

Kensi just rolled her eyes. "The way you tensed up when you showed him Starr's picture, don't think I didn't see that. So why don't you lay it out for me?"

"Nothing to lay out, Kens. I have no idea why we're even on this case or why Hetty's connecting the two. How could I? It was a big enough shock finding out Starr was back in LA."

"I get that. But if there's a remote possibility this woman is one of the reasons IAB are investigating you - "

"Could be," he cut in. "I mean, I don't know for sure. Maybe. Partly. Possibly, yeah."

She frowned and looked briefly confused. "Well, which is it?"

"I'm gonna go with...yeah." He paused then added, "Possibly."

"Why is it so difficult for you to give me a straight answer?"

"I can give you a straight answer if that's what you want. For example, ask me what I ate for breakfast this morning."

Kensi's shoulders drooped in that 'why-me' way. But it was easier all round if she played along with him. "Let me guess, a cronut?"

"Yes." He pointed a finger at her. " _There's_ your straight answer."

"Okay, now _that's_ out of the way, can you turn your attention to my initial question? Or do you wanna share what you ate for dinner last night?"

"I don't know what you want me to say. And fish tacos, leftovers from the night before. Had a kind of funky aroma, not sure what that was about, but I washed it down with a beer so it was all good. I really don't know what else you want me to say, Kens."

"How about we stop with the counter-questioning and you just tell me what's going on, Deeks. Tell me you're going to be okay. _Tell_ me if you need anything."

"I don't know if I'm gonna be okay and there's nothing I need. Are we done fighting?"

"We're not fighting. Trust me you'll know when we are," she said. "Starr's brother, Marco, was he the one you were investigating when that cop got killed?"

Deeks tensed up but quickly shook it off, knowing that she would immediately jump on it. "Marco Navarro was on the LAPD radar long before that happened."

"But you said you were there when he threatened to kill her."

"I was. But not as a cop."

"As her friend."

"Right. Look, Kens, I don't know what you want from me. I'm just as in the dark as you are about what's going on. Besides, you know how the IA works, they're gonna do whatever they have to, to prove whatever it is they have to prove."

"And what is that?"

"C'mon."

"It's a simple question."

"You know I can't talk about an ongoing investigation."

"But you know _why_ you're being investigated. They've questioned you already. And Hetty knows, too."

"Okay, can we _not_ talk about this right now and please just do our job? I can't think about any of that and I can't think about Starr either - "

"Thought you didn't want to talk about it?"

He slid her a glance and she bobbed an eyebrow at him. Deeks sighed. "Okay. Look. Her brother doesn't play softball. He _will_ kill her when he gets out."

"After being locked up for six years I doubt he's going to do anything to risk going back inside," Kensi said.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," said Deeks.

"If she knew the risk in coming back there has to be a valid reason as to _why_ she came back."

"If I knew I would tell you."

"Are _you_ the reason, Deeks?"

"Really?" he laughed. "C'mon."

"You were friends," Kensi shrugged.

"Yeah, we were. Good friends. But not so good she'd come back here and put her life on the line. We'd meet up over drinks and she'd tell me all about her crappy day and I'd tell her all about my crappy day and she got it." He shrugged. "She understood how I never felt at home anywhere. Not the Public Defender's Office, the LAPD...she just got it. Because she felt the same way. She never fit in with her family. We were both misfits, square pegs in round holes."

"So you had a connection."

"It was a little more than that."

"You were involved?"

"Not exactly." He paused. "I mean, _yeah_ , there _was_ heat between us but we never acted on it."

"You, uh, hesitated there."

"Okay, there was _one_ time we acted on it," he retracted, "but it never went any further than a hot and heavy make-out session. Timing was all wrong."

Kensi lifted a dark eyebrow. "Hot and heavy make-out session? What are you, fifteen? So you have feelings for her."

"Define feelings."

"Romantic."

" _Wow_ , okay, you do _not_ pull any punches. You and your army brat boots kicking down my defenses and stomping all over my hiddenmost desires and feelings. I'm not that guy, Kensalina. I need trust and comfort first."

"Yeah? Well, I'm _not_ an army brat. Say it again, and you can trust that I'll stomp over more than just your feelings," she fired back.

"Ouch. That was uncalled for and it's not helping me open up."

Even though secretly she was enjoying that they were back to their usual back-and-forth bickering selves, Kensi couldn't help but sigh. "I'm losing an IQ point a minute talking to you. Just answer the question, Deeks."

"Wasn't a question. You _stated_ it. It was a _statement_. You're, uh, getting your nouns mixed up a little there, Special Agent Blye."

"And now we're back to hesitating."

"No, I'm _stalling_. You also need to work on your verbs. And I'm _stalling_ because usually I prefer a little gentle foreplay first to help me loosen up."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you? If I used gentle foreplay?"

"A little bit," he answered sliding her a grin. "Why aren't you doing this interrogation thing for a living? You could be getting paid. Oh, wait." He winked at her and she just rolled her eyes. "So when you say romantic, you _really_ mean...?"

"Sexual."

"There it is."

Kensi couldn't help herself, she laughed. There'd been a lot of talk yet she was no further forward in finding out any more than she knew an hour ago. He really was infuriating. "Okay, y'know what, _fine._ I'm not gonna strong-arm you into telling me - "

"Pft! Like you could. What do you bench press anyway?" he asked giving her bicep a squeeze. "Do you even know what a bench press is? Wait, are you flexing?"

Kensi swatted his hand away. "Forget I even wanted this conversation with you. Clearly it was an error of judgment." They had arrived at the next bar on the list and both stopped at the entrance. "But can I give you one small piece of advice?"

"Go for it."

"Be careful," she said meeting his eyes. "You've had no contact with this woman for over a year and now suddenly she's back and involved in a robbery _and_ a murder - "

"She didn't kill that guard. She doesn't have it in her."

"So you keep saying, but her genetics tell a different tale."

"Starr would never intentionally hurt anyone."

"She could easily have shot that guard, Deeks."

"Think you need to go read that file Hetty has on her," he said. "Because nowhere does it say murderer."

"What about jewel thief?"

It was becoming exhausting having to defend someone. On top of that he really didn't want to get into a fight with his partner over it. "She's not that either, Kens. There's a reason she's mixed up in this. Has to be. She wouldn't come back here on an impulse. Besides, you heard Mr. Teeth and All Beard back there, she was a sweetheart. Everyone loved her."

"Including you."

"C'mon, don't make it weird."

"Oh, you somehow manage to do that all by yourself," Kensi said with a smirk. "You did or _do_ love her."

"You're like a dog with a bone," Deeks returned with a smirk of his own. When she got a hold of something she just wouldn't let go. "And I'm choosing to exercise my right to remain silent," he added.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. I know I'm right, though."

"Even a broken clock gets the chance to be right twice a day."

"Cute. Just watch your back, okay?"

"Isn't that your job?" he said with a wink.

"I can only do that if you trust me," she replied. "I'm not asking you to tell me everything, Deeks, just don't shut me out. Keep me in the loop, okay? I wanna help."

"Consider it done."

"Glad to hear it. Because you don't need any more unnecessary drama and if IA get word she's in town, you won't be doing yourself any favors by reinvolving yourself with her."

"Copy that, partner," said Deeks. Even though it was probably already too late. "Let's go talk to some bartenders," he said holding open the door for her.

"Let's also try to keep the flirting to a bare minimum. Hot stuff," Kensi said stepping into the air-conditioned cool of the bar.

Deeks grinned. "It's a beard thing. You wouldn't understand. And he started it," he said and followed her inside.

COPYRIGHT. Anna Mack Callen. (NCIS:LA - Falling Star)


	4. Panacea

**PANACEA**

Callen and Sam were making their way down the Venice Beach boardwalk back to where Sam had parked his Challenger. They had just left the last of the costume stores that stocked the De Niro masks and the last, along with the second they'd visited, was where the masks had been purchased. Two had been sold at the second and three at the last. Both cashiers from both stores hadn't been able to give them much in the way of information about who had purchased the masks; only that they had been sold three days before and cash had been paid as cards were not accepted. No identities could be remembered and to make matters worse, both stores had no security cameras installed.

"What do you make of all this, G?" Sam asked his partner.

"You know what I make of it, Sam," replied Callen. "I made my feelings perfectly clear back at Ops."

"This whole thing's ridiculous. Why we even on this? It isn't even in our jurisdiction."

"You know Hetty. Reason for everything."

"We got no leads, nothing. We're going in blind. Just like Deeks's loyalty to this Starr girl."

"You heard him. Even with the evidence in front of him it seems she can do no wrong in his eyes."

"She's a hot girl." Sam slid a glance at his partner, who half smiled and nodded his agreement. "Think there was something going on there?"

"I would say, judging from Deeks's fascinating feedback that there was definitely some 'thing' going on."

"And that connection could be the reason Hetty's involved us in this," Sam said.

"It's the reason," Callen said with certainty.

"You seem sure."

"Starr has information on what happened to Deeks six years ago."

"But how could Hetty know that? None of us even knew the guy back then."

Callen's smile was one of amusement. "Really, Sam? All these years and you're still underestimating Hetty?"

Sam half smiled and nodded. "She did admit to watching Deeks for a long time before he joined us, maybe she was watching him a lot longer than any of us knew."

"Starr's the key and if Hetty and her Yoda mind tricks think she can somehow clear Deeks name then that's the only reason we're on this."

"Not sure how anyone's gonna get cleared when we can't even ID these guys," said Sam with a sigh.

"There's only one person who can help us with that."

"Starr. If we can find her."

From inside his leather jacket Callen's cellphone rang. He plucked it from his pocket. It was Kensi. "Please tell me you're having better luck," he answered.

" _Sorry to be the caller of bad news."_ Kensi's voice came over the line. _"No luck your end, either_?"

"The cashiers at the costume stores were unable to identify the buyers. Cash only and no security cameras."

" _We're hitting roadblocks, too. We've checked out a few of Starr's old haunts, but no one's seen or heard from her._ "

"It's like she's a ghost. Where you at now?"

" _On our way to Malibu. Hopefully to have better luck_ ," said Kensi.

"Sam and I are headed to the jewelry store. We'll see you back at Ops." Callen hung up. "Kensi and Deeks are getting nowhere."

Sam exhaled. "You ever get the feeling Yoda's sending us on a wild goose chase just because she can?"

"It's exactly how I feel," Callen said as they arrived back at the car. "We're all on the same page but Hetty's a few pages ahead." He opened up the door and climbed in.

"Let's hope Rodeo Drive can help us catch up," Sam said. "Maybe I'll buy something nice for Michelle while we're there."

"Hope you remembered your Platinum card because I don't think the credit limit on your Visa's gonna cut it."

Sam started up the engine, chuckling at his partner's idea of humor. "I was thinking along the lines of flowers not jewelry or perfume. And my credit limit's just fine."

" _Flowers_?" said Callen with a faint smile as the car pulled away. "Who goes shopping on Rodeo Drive and buys only flowers? My partner, the cheaposaurus."

"Have you seen the price of a bouquet in Beverly Hills?"

"I don't know, Sam, I'm thinking you gotta make the effort. Maybe throw in a vase, too. It'll last longer than the flowers," Callen added with a smirk.

"Not if I throw it at you." Sam slid his partner a look. Callen was looking mighty pleased with himself. "Am I really gonna take gift advice from a guy who hasn't had a date in six months? I don't think so. Besides, it's the thought that counts."

"You just keep telling yourself that, big guy."

"Keep it up," Sam warned.

Callen only chuckled quietly to himself.

COPYRIGHT. Anna Mack Callen. (NCIS:LA - Falling Star)


	5. Surfrider

**SURFRIDER**

Surfrider was the quintessential Malibu beach, making it the prime location for tourists who were willing to fight through the crowds of surfers, couples with young families who came out to play and people watch, and the groups of young men and women who came down to play on the sand volleyball court. But it was the surfers who made Surfrider truly special, they and the perfect swells and the three point breaks made it a perennial hot spot for both long boarders and short boarders.

Kensi had just taken a phonecall from Nell back at Ops, she'd been hoping for an Intel update, but Nell had nothing new to report. She was beginning to wonder if they were ever going to make a breakthrough on this case when Deeks slid up beside her holding a Rocky Road ice cream. And _just_ the one. She looked from the cone already dripping onto the back of his hand back to him.

"You bought ice cream?"

"We're at the beach. Goes without saying."

"Okay, so where's mine?"

"You said you were watching your figure," he replied, taking a big lick of the creamy, chocolatey goodness.

Kensi's mouth dropped open. Her look pointed. " _When_ did I say that?"

"Yesterday, when I bought you that peanut butter and jelly donut."

"We live in LA. _Deeks._ Where there are literally dozens upon _dozens_ of healthy eating options available to us. Things like vegan, organic, gluten free, fat free - "

"All things in four years I have never once seen you consume."

" - and _you_ buy me a peanut butter and jelly donut."

"You were in a foul mood and needed the sugar rush. I know hypoglycemic induced hostility when I see it, sister. _And_ you ate it. Why are we fighting about this when we should be working? Look," he said nodding towards the ocean. "Surfers."

"Wow. Those Detective skills really are working for you."

Deeks only smiled. "See the guy on the orange shortboard?"

"I don't even know what a shortboard is."

"Okay, our next weekend off I'm schooling you in the A-Z of Surf Talk." He pointed. "Blonde guy, red boardies, that's _boardshorts_ to the less uneducated among us."

Kensi gave him a look. "I _know_ what boardies are." She turned back to the guy. "He's good."

"Guy's the real deal," Deeks agreed, taking another lick of his cone and smacking his lips together. Loudly.

Kensi made a face. "Do you have to do that?" she asked.

"It's ice cream. How else am I meant to eat it?"

She only sighed. "So you know him?"

"Everyone knows Roman Tracey. With the exception of you. Because clearly you're a philistine when it comes to surf culture. Former world class surfer. Two time US champ. Dominated in the mid nineties until a knee injury sidelined him in two thousand and two."

"Thank you for that, Deekipedia," Kensi replied with a sarcastic smile. "Does he know our little jewel thief?"

Deeks slid her the side eye and she slid it right back. "He knows _Starr_ and he knows _me_ as Dave Wylie."

"Let's go talk to him."

As they made their way down onto the sand, Deeks still slurping on his cone, bikini clad girls passed by and they all had a smile for the shaggy haired Detective, and of course Deeks being Deeks, he had a smile for all of them.

"Hi, Marty," said a tall, willowy blonde in a bright red bathing suit and a DD cup.

"Like those are real," muttered Kensi under her breath.

"Well, hey there..." Deeks thought for a second and then he got it. "Tiffany."

"Hi, Marty, it's been a while. You should give me a call sometime," said a brunette with legs that went on for days.

"Yes, it has and I will do that," he replied returning the smile.

"This must be like _Toys R Us_ for you," Kensi said as they drew nearer to the shoreline.

"Don't be jealous, sugar bear," Deeks replied with a grin. "You know you'll always be my favorite."

"Ew," Kensi shuddered,"suddenly I feel _unclean_."

A perky ravenhaired beauty in a yellow two-piece sailed past and threw Deeks a flirty wink."Hey there, Marty. We should hang out," she said.

"Yes, we should."

"Looking good, Marty," said another. "Been working out?"

"Well, hey there, Cheryl, yes, _yes_ I have. Thank you for noticing." Deeks gave the redhead his best smile, then turned back to Kensi with a woe-is-me sigh. "God, I _hate_ this place. I get treated like a sausage with feet."

"You're disgusting," she only said and making him grin.

Roman Tracey had just finished his surf and was wading out of the ocean, blowing water from his eyes and wiping his blonde hair back from his face. His board was tucked firmly beneath one muscular, tattooed arm.

"Rome!" Deeks called out as they got closer to the water's edge. "Over here!"

The surfer looked over, paused for a second then frowned when he caught sight of Deeks and Kensi coming towards him. He immediately turned and began walking away up the beach.

"Buddy, over here!" Deeks called out again. But the surfer ignored him and kept on walking.

"Thought you said he knew you?" said Kensi.

"He does. Roman, over here!"

Roman Tracey took a quick glance over his shoulder and then began to pick up the pace. He started off with a slow jog then began making off at quite a high speed as he ran towards the pier.

"Uh, Dave? Why's he running?" Kensi wanted to know.

"No idea, but look at him go. So much for that blown knee," said Deeks. "I'm gonna have to chase him, aren't I?"

Kensi glanced down at the boots on her feet. "These boots were made for walking, not running on sand."

"Fair enough, hold this," he handed her the melting ice cream, "do _not_ lick it, you and your boots can cut him off at the pier." Deeks began running down the beach after the surfer. "Rome, wait up! Stop running! I just wanna talk!"

Luckily for Deeks the surfer's board was beginning to impact on his speed, so in no time he'd caught up with him, jumping on his back and forcing them both down to the sand with a hard thump.

"Get the hell off me!" Roman yelled struggling as Deeks pinned him down.

"What the hell, Rome, we don't talk in a while and this is how you greet me? Is this about Thanksgiving? Because I told you, mom won't allow me to have more than two friends over at any one time," quipped Deeks, as he tried to keep the surfer from struggling.

"Yeah, that's it, _Dave_ ," Roman spat out over his shoulder.

" _Oh_ , okay, not liking the tone." Deeks dragged him up onto his feet. "What's the matter with you? I just want to ask a few questions."

"I got nothing to say."

"You a mind reader now? You don't even know what I'm gonna ask. Just wanna know if you've talked with Starr Navarro lately."

Roman was brushing the sand from his chest but his head flipped up, left eye twitching ever so slightly. He was about to turn and run but immediately stopped again. Kensi was blocking his path, holding up her NCIS shield in one hand. She gave him a wide smile.

"Hi there. Cool board."

Deeks gave his partner a nod. "What took you so long and where's my ice cream?"

"I had to make a call, it was the boots or the ice cream. Sorry."

"Fantastic." He looked back at Roman. "Seriously, why'd you run?"

"I'm late for a lunch date," Roman sniped.

"It's eleven am."

"Did I say lunch? I meant brunch," Roman said with a wry smile.

"Well, you see, that kind of hostility isn't going to get us anywhere. Don't make me cuff you."

Roman snorted at Deeks. "You can't arrest me. I didn't do anything."

"You ran and usually when someone runs that means they have something to hide," Kensi told him. "Have you seen Starr Navarro lately?"

"I know my rights and I don't need to tell you anything."

"It's a simple yes or no, buddy, what aren't you grasping?" said Deeks. "Have you seen Starr?" The surfer remained silent, only continuing to stare at Deeks. "Okay, y'know what? I think we already have our answer. Hands behind your back."

"What?" the surfer protested. "You can't arrest me, I didn't do nothing!"

Deeks grabbed the surfers arms behind his back and bound his wrists together with the regulation plastic zip ties that NCIS used. The cop in him missed the good old-fashioned metal. "Yeah, you did," he told Lance. "You're refusing to answer questions. That's reasonable suspicion, Rome." He began marching him up the beach and towards where Kensi had parked the car.

"What the _hell_?! You can't do this!" the surfer argued.

"I think you'll find we just did," Deeks replied. Then he looked at Kensi over his shoulder. "And you, partner, _you_ owe me an ice cream."

Kensi just smiled.

COPYRIGHT. Anna Mack Callen. (NCIS:LA - Falling Star)


	6. Revenant

**REVENANT**

Back at headquarters Callen and Sam were on their way up to Ops center. The jewelry store had been an even bigger bust than the costume stores had. The store's owner, Alexia Pavlo, had been so distraught over the death of the security guard Paul Morris, that she had barely been able to confirm who she was let alone give them any information, other than to corroborate what had been taken - the gold and platinum jewelry and of course, the five million dollars in diamonds. Safe to say Callen was becoming frustrated with the whole thing and Sam wasn't far behind. They needed to close this thing so they could take on a 'real' case and get on with some real work.

Eric and Nell, the aptly named 'Wonder Twins' sat side-by-side at their respective workstations. They had only managed to make minimal progress from where they'd been an hour earlier, but it still wasn't much to go on. They needed a breakthrough - and fast.

Over his shoulder Eric chanced a peek at Hetty, who was standing at the surface table. The Ops manager had just taken a telephone call. "This case is obscure," he whispered, turning back to Nell.

"That's the understatement of the century," she quietly returned. Her fingers were moving fluidly over the keyboard in front of her as she scanned the information on screen.

"I mean, we can't just hoodoo information from thin air. We're awesome but we're not _that_ awesome."

"Speak for yourself," Nell replied with a slight grin.

Eric grinned back. "Be cool if we could, though."

"It would certainly make things easier all round."

"Hetty knows more than she's saying. I wish she'd let us in on the master plan."

"You know Hetty. She has a reason for everything and her own way of doing things."

Eric leaned back in his swivel seat. " _So_ , tell me, Mizz. Jones, if you were planning a robbery on a high class jewelry store, what would be your mask of choice?" he asked.

"Uh..." Nell paused what she was doing to slide him a furrowed look. "I wouldn't plan a robbery, but clearly you've given it some thought. Should I be concerned, Beale?"

He gave her a grin. "Hypothetically."

"Okay, I'll play along." She shrugged. "An animal. Definitely an animal. Maybe a fox. I have a thing about foxes."

" _Ah_ , the cunning trickster," Eric said with a nod of his head. "You know, in Japanese folklore the fox, or _kitsune_ as the Japanese say, is depicted as an intelligent being possessing magical abilities."

"Which would seem appropriate given our current situation," Nell said.

"Ain't that the truth," Eric agreed. "They're also considered to be a rain spirit, symbolizing longevity and protection from evil. Unless...this 'thing' is a _fetish_ kind of thing - "

" _Ew_. What? _No_. What's the matter with you?"

"Eric, Nell," Callen cut in, very much to Nell's joy and relief, as he and Sam came through the sliding doors, "where are we?"

"In the dark and the clock's ticking," Eric replied, spinning round to look at him.

"That's not what I wanted to hear," Callen admitted.

"Fantastic Mr. Fox over here is kidding," Nell said sliding a glance at Eric, who replied with a grin. "It isn't much but we did get something," she told Callen.

Sam turned to Eric, showering him with a stern look. "This case is complicated enough. Why would you kid about that?" he asked. "What's the matter with you?"

"Answers on a postcard," Nell quietly sang.

"I, I...I was just, uh, y'know, trying to make light of this..." Eric's stammering got worse as Sam's hulking frame loomed over him. "Of this... _difficult_...situation and, uh..."

"How's that working out for you?" Sam asked.

"Well, that's...uh, that's it. I, I got nothing more."

Sam kept the pretence up a moment longer then he cracked a grin and scrubbed a hand over Eric's hair. "I just love messing with you, Beale."

"And I'm still waiting," said Callen with a faint smile.

Nell brought Callen and Sam up to speed. "We cross referenced Starr's photograph to all flight manifests over the last month," she informed them. "Eventually got a hit. She didn't fly direct from Cuba, which is why it took a little more time. She traveled from Havana onto Mexico City, eventually boarding a connecting flight to LAX."

"So she couldn't be tracked," Callen said with a nod.

"Exactamundo." Eric spun back round to face the computer screen and began hitting a few keys. "Look at this. She added an extra ten hours to her travel time doing it that way. Unless she's collecting air miles, that's _insane_."

"But smart," Sam said.

"We picked her up on an airport security camera at Mexico City International and discovered that she _is_ using a fake passport - traveling under the name Catalina Moreno," Eric carried on. He sent the passport images over to the main plasma.

Callen scanned the images as they popped up. "Any luck on where she's staying?"

"We checked local motels and hotels, cab companies she may have used, that sort of thing - but that was where the scent went cold," Nell picked up where Eric left off. " _However_ , an LAX surveillance cam _did_ pick her up getting into an unmarked cab around eight pm Friday night. But after that we lost her."

"Unmarked," said Sam. "Gypsy cab."

"Untraceable, she knew what she was doing," Callen added. "Street cams?"

Nell shook her head. "Not even Kaleidoscope could find the cab. It's possible she told the driver not to use the main routes where she knew there would be cameras."

"This girl really doesn't wanna be found," said Sam with a sigh. "Seems pointless asking but credit card hits?"

"That's a negative, I'm afraid," Eric said. "We cross referenced her birth name and the name she's traveling under. Nada. It's beginning to look like she paid cash for both her flights and accommodation."

"It's like wading through jell-o," said Sam. "Getting nowhere fast."

"But it _is_ more than what we had an hour ago, guys," Eric said. "So...yay?"

Callen released a sigh and looked at Hetty. She had just ended her telephone call. "You have us chasing down nothing, Hetty. We're wasting our time with this when we could be working another case."

"Yes, we could, Mr. Callen. But right now our focus is _this_ case," she told him. She pointed to the phone. "That was Detective Deeks. He and Agent Blye have brought in a person of interest. They're at the boatshed. I suggest you and Mr. Hanna get down there immediately."

Callen and Sam exchanged glances.

"What's that you were saying about jell-o?" said Callen with a faint smile. He turned back to Hetty. "Deeks say who it was?"

Hetty clucked her tongue. "Do I have to do _all_ of the work around here? Go find out. _Go_ ," she instructed and the two agents left quickly.

COPYRIGHT. Anna Mack Callen. (NCIS:LA - Falling Star)


End file.
